Beyond These Walls
by OpenBook
Summary: Levi's attempted burglary of a prototype of a new 3D Maneuver Gear model sets into motion the events which eventually lead him to joining the Survey Corps and becoming humanity's strongest. Levi x OC
1. Chapter 1: Taking Candy from a Baby

**Chapter 1**

**Taking Candy from a Baby**

_Year 826, 19 years before the fall of Shiganshina..._

The Stohess District was known as the home of the wealthy merchants to mostly everyone within the walls. Architecturally fashioned after great southern cities of old, Stohess was a city of abundant prosperity, wealth, and corruption.

Levi hated it the moment he crept into its walls. The people here were rotten, he could practically smell it off their skin. Walking the streets he witnessed many a fat merchant flaunt his or her wealth like a peacock bustling its feathers. They pranced about with their aristocratic friends, gold twinkling beneath their nails, and all the while the wretched and homeless lay starving on the streets, clawing but for a scrap of food.

This city was truly foul to its very foundations. However, chastising Stohess for all its flaws was not the reason why Levi had come here. No, there was a prize sitting in one of the factories of this town, one that he had every intention to take for himself.

Levi knew exactly where to go once inside the district. Recalling the directions several merchants and vagabonds had given him, Levi made his way through the bustling streets of Stohess -going unnoticed by most- until he reached his destination.

Aaltonen Factory, the place where 3D Maneuver Gear for the military was manufactured. This factory was the crowned jewel of the city that single handedly employed about 20 percent of the working force of the Stohess District. It was an enormous building with thick walls, many chimneys and huge steel doors. The people that worked there could always look forward to plenty of work.

Here, is where the young boy, Levi, would find his fortune.

For the next several days, Levi devoted most his time (when he wasn't searching for food) to watching the factory, carefully memorizing the faces and routines of everyone working there. He found a suitable perch from the roof of the house across the street from the factory in order to properly gauge the jewel of Stohess.

By his fifth day in Stohess District, Levi has constructed an elaborate mental map of life in Aaltonen Factory.

At 7 a.m sharp, the workers would arrive. Cracking open the screeching steel doors wide, they set to work immediately. By 7:15 a.m., the screeches and groans of heavy machinery could be heard, and the twelve chimneys extending towards the skies spat up smoke into the cool morning air.

By 10 a.m the owner of Aaltonen Factory, Augustus Aaltonen, would arrive and join his employees for the day, counselling and directing them safely and efficiently. Aaltonen's home, not surprisingly, happened to be the very one Levi had chosen to set himself upon. The house that was just across the street from the factory. This meant that Augustus always had quick and easy access to his factory at any time of the day. Levi had to admit, that was certainly a smart thing for a business man to do. It seemed that Augustus literally ate, slept and breathed his work.

By noon, Augustus' wife, Isabelle Aaltonen, and his child (whose name Levi didn't bother remembering) would emerge from their home with baskets filled to the brim with sandwiches and fruit. The women would take these to the workers every day, and each day they were received with gratitude and bright smiles from the workers.

Isabelle and her child would leave by 1 in the afternoon, and the workers continued on until 6 in the evening. Once that time arrived the machines' growls were stopped and the street was plunged into an eerie quiet. The workers then dispersed towards their homes and families, closing and locking the large steel doors behind them.

Augustus usually made his way back home at this time, and stayed in his house until about 10 p.m. At that time, Augustus would leave his home and return to his factory and to greet the two soldiers of the Military police who were stationed at the front doors of the factory; their charge being to insure the security of the Factory and its products throughout the night. Aaltonen would then disappear into the building until about 3 in the morning, at which time he would finally shuffle back home, visibly exhausted. The guards on the other hand, stayed until the first workers arrived at 7 a.m. sharp. Levi had monitored their movements carefully, and was a little disappointed to discover that the patterns of the guards was an easy one. Every 30 minutes one of the guards would circle the factory and that was it. They would each take their respective turn in doing this until the shift was over.

The next day everything would repeat all over again.

Levi knew then, that the chance of getting his hands on his prize was quite high. He knew it was better to sneak into the factory at night, and preferably after 3 a.m. when Augustus returned home to rest. This meant that if he was able to sneak past the guards, Levi had 4 hours to get in, collect the good, and then get out.

This was going to be like taking candy from a baby.

Levi executed his plan on a particularly cold Tuesday night. He waited in the rooftop of Augustus Aaltonen's home until 4:40 a.m. By that point the owner of the factory had gone home and the soldiers had just finished their rounds.

With unnatural ease for this age, the 10 year old climbed off the roof he was perched on and landed silently in the street below.

Like a shadow Levi quickly made his way across the street and towards the factory. Levi's skinny frame allowed him to easily slip through the bars of the gate, and one inside he wasted no time in getting to the smaller side door that was most often used by Augustus himself.

Getting into the factory wouldn't be a problem as Levi had nicked a key off one of the workers that he "accidentally" bumped into earlier that evening when the shifts had ended.

Levi inserted the key into the door, twisted slowly and once he heard that distinguishable click, opened it and disappeared into the darkness of the factory.

Once inside, Levi began the search for his prize. It took some time to find it (as he didn't have an opportunity to enter the bustling factory in the daytime without being detected) but once he laid eyes upon it he knew that the waiting of the past five days had been all worthwhile.

Sitting prettily in one of the back rooms was a 3D maneuver gear prototype, one that had the military bustling with excitement and merchants with jealousy.

Even from districts over, Levi had heard the whispers of soldiers and merchants about Augustus Aaltonen and his re-design of the military's primary and essential weapons against the titans.

Some said that this was gear was the new hope of mankind, while others simply shook their heads and doubted. The merchants for the most part expressed immense jealousy and hatred towards Aaltonen, for they knew that if the re-design of this gear turned out to be successful, that the respect and wealth bestowed upon Aaltonen and his family would be tremendous. This very fact was what brought Levi to this place. He knew that if he got his hands on such a valuable item, he could sell it for an enormous and respectable sum, and living on the streets would no longer be a part of his day to day life as an orphaned child.

Levi inspected the gear before touching it. In truth he had never seen a 3D Maneuver Gear (which were rarely worn by the military police) up close before, and to be honest, the thing didn't look like much. How was such a contraption supposed to help humanity kill the titans? Would it really work?

Levi shrugged and pushed his thoughts aside. He did not come here to doubt, he came here to steal the opportunity for a better life.

Levi grasped the equipment in his hands, the cold touch of the metal chilling his fingers. The thought that this scrap of metal was going to get him enough money so that he could live comfortably filled his heart with a sense of disbelief and misplaced joy. Levi knew very well that stealing his way into a comfortable life was no honourable thing, but if the world was going to be rotten then he might as well be too.

Levi slung the gear onto his back and was surprised at the unexpected lightness of it. Perhaps this was one of the re-designs that Augustus had concocted (especially considering that Levi heard the current Maneuver Gear being rather heavy)? Levi couldn't help but smile. Everything was going perfectly, and at this rate, he was going to be living the type of life homeless children his age could only dream about.

"Hey! Stop right there you thief, or else!"

Levi's blood froze at the sudden voice boomed and echoed throughout the factory. How could someone be in here with him? He had scouted the people around this place down to the finest detail, there was no way someone was inside.

Shit. Who did he miss?

Levi dropped the gear and turned to face the source of the voice, his stance one that was ready to spring into him into action. But what he saw next was so bewildering, so utterly ridiculous, that running completely escaped his mind.

It was Aaltonen's daughter. That pudgy wealthy little brat who had to be a only couple years younger than Levi. She stood right before him in a white chemise, her long copper hair kept in braids on each side of her face, blue ribbons adorning the tips. She looked exactly like a fragile little doll, but her defiant stance and accusing brown gaze was far from that, they were a direct and confident challenge towards him.

For a moment Levi was rooted in place, shocked at the turn of events, but once the ridiculousness of this girl sank in, the boy couldn't hold in the laughter that bubbled in his throat.

And laugh he did. An honest to god laugh. Levi couldn't even remember the last time he laughed, and despite the fact that this was an action he had little practice in, Levi found it incredibly hard to stop.

Through tears he watched as the little girl's scowl turned into a displeased frown, and she crossed her arms very much in the same way her mother did whenever she was displeased at something. "Are you done?" The little girl snapped, brown eyes burning with anger.

With effort, Levi composed himself enough to reply to her question. "Depends, are you the person that's going to try and stop me? Cause if you are then I might just laugh even harder."

The little girl's expression grew dark.

"Give me the prototype maneuver gear back." She said, extending her hand forwards.

Levi rolled his eyes, his laughter and mirth subsiding. "How bout no, shitty brat." Levi said, moving to pick up the gear once more and tossing it over his shoulder. "Why don't you go back home to mommy and daddy?"

Levi turned and started to make his exit, completely ignoring the girl behind him. As he moved deeper into the factory he began backtracking, contemplating the best and safest exit. Suddenly, Levi caught the distinct sound of tiny footsteps approaching and waited until just the right moment to dodge the small fist that was aimed right at his head with graceful ease.

The miss caused the little girl to lose her balance, and Levi wasted no time helping her face get acquainted with the floor. The impact caused the little girl to howl in pain.

"Nice try," Levi growled. "But you have no chance of beating me." He proceeded to head for the exit again, but the girl was proving to be persistent for she managed to pick herself up from the ground and lunge at him again. Levi sighed, turned, and prepared to reacquaint the brat with the ground, except that this time, the girl's nose was spewing blood and as she exhaled with exertion, the blood running from her nose sprayed all over Levi's torso.

Levi's skin positively _crawled_. Shit, shit, shit, the fucking brat had gotten blood on him.

Levi was so distracted by his disgust that he scarcely noticed the girl making a grab for his hair. By the time he did finally notice her, it was too late to escape from her grasp, and the next thing Levi felt was the little girl pulling the holy fucking hell out of his hair.

Levi let out a pain filled yelp. "Let go you fucking goblin!" He screamed, reaching for her in order to get her off. The little girl dodged his attempts easily and responded in kind with pulling even harder if it was even fucking possible. Fresh tears came to Levi's eyes and he knew that if he was going to get out of this he was going to have to get rough with this fucking brat. Levi certainly wasn't one for beating up girls but this one was defiantly asking for it.

Dropping the 3D Maneuver Gear prototype, Levi lunged for the girl, sending them both toppling to the floor. This movement surprised her and for a second, her grip on him slackened. Luckily, a second was all Levi needed to escape her death grip.

Once Levi was free, he wasted no time in using his fists and she didn't either. The two children became a tangle of screams and flying fists as one tried to get the best of the other but never actually succeeding. Levi was too skilled and the girl too spirited for a victor to be decided easily.

Levi didn't know how long they fought on the ground for, it could have been minutes or it could have been hours for all he knew, but eventually, the two children exhausted themselves and finally, both collapsed on the factory floor. Both children were panting hard and had acquired their fair share of bruises, bite marks and cuts.

As Levi lay on the floor, completely dumbfounded, he wondered how it ended up like this, being beaten to hell by some little girl who didn't have a scrap of muscle to her. When had his plan gone so awry? He had been so careful to make sure his plan would go smoothly. How could he have missed her...and how did she even know he was going to be here? Had she seen him on the roof? Did she follow him? Shit, he had been so preoccupied with the adults that he forgot all about this shitty little brat.

Well, despite the disruption in his plan Levi was finding it difficult to hate the girl that was laying -exhausted- just a foot away from him. She certainly put up a good fight for something she wanted to protect and Levi had to respect her for that. Apparently, taking candy from this baby had been harder then he expected.

"You fucking crazy brat," Levi panted, turning his head so that he could look at her. "Look what you did you…" Levi winced, a sharp pain making its way up his scalp. Fuck did that girl ever have a nasty grip. "...got me all filthy."

"Serves you right." The little girl panted, also turning her head in order to meet his gaze. She let out a groan of pain at the movement too. "That's what thieves get."

The two laid motionless and stared at each other for a while, letting the pain settle into a dull ache in their bones. Eventually, the girl spoke.

"Where did you learn to fight like that?" She asked, her brown eyes alight with curiosity. "I mean, you move so fast. I've never seen anything like it."

Levi shrugged as best he could while lying down. "Don't know, I've always been like that." He said.

"Well, it makes you a pretty good fighter." The girl paused, eyes becoming distant as if she were thinking about something. Her face then lit up with confidence and pride. "I guess I must be a pretty good fighter too if I was able to keep up with you." She said, smiling widely enough for Levi to notice that during their struggle he had actually managed to knock one of her front teeth out.

Levi snorted. "You're a terrible fighter. It's because you were so terrible and erratic that I had a hard time with you."

The girl stuck her tongue out at him, and Levi couldn't help the smile that cracked across his bloodied lips. For the brat of a wealthy merchant she wasn't actually half bad.

Suddenly the factory doors burst open, startling the children into a sitting position. Three adults stormed the complex. One was Augustus Aaltonen and the other two were the guards who had been stationed outside. Once their eyes befell the bruised children on the floor, their expressions contorted into ones of shock and disbelief.

"What the hell happened here!?" Augustus shouted, eyes widening in horror when he realized the extent of his child's injuries.

"Marie!" Augustus cried, rushing to her side.

_Shit._ Levi thought. _I have to get out of here fast or…_

Before Levi could even finish the thought, the two military police tackled him, pinning his arms behind his back and trapping him against the floor, leaving Levi completely helpless and under their power despite all of his struggling.

"Here is the culprit Mr. Aaltonen!" One of the guards shouted, tightening his grip around Levi's wrists. The other guard picked up the 3D Maneuver Gear prototype that had been kicked aside during Levi's fight with Aaltonen's daughter.

"I think this is what he was after!" Guard number two said as he held up the gear for inspection. Augustus however, was paying no attention to Levi or the guards. Instead his worried eyes were on his daughter who he was now cradling in his arms.

"Are you alright, honey?" He asked. The little girl Levi now knew was called Marie nodded, grasping the front of her father's shirt with her tiny fingers. "I'm okay papa. Please don't be angry." She said, the confident and defiant expression Levi had become familiar with now changed into one of sheepishness.

Augustus embraced his child, but when she winced in pain at the contact he let her go quickly. It was then that his attention was turned to Levi.

"I want that miscreant arrested." He snarled. His blue eyes, so unlike his daughter's, were burning with contempt for the boy pinned to the ground. His expression grew angrier when he saw that the boy showed no signs of fear or remorse and in place of it was an expression of what seemed to be…boredom and utter disinterest.

"Of course Mr. Aaltonen!" The soldier holding Levi down said. "But our headquarters is on the other side of town and I think we should get the carriage for this one. He sure is feisty."

"Fine. Just lock him in one of the storage rooms until the carriage arrives." Augustus instructed. "I am going to take my daughter home and then I will return to deal with this matter."

"Yes Mr. Aaltonen!" Both soldiers said simultaneously.

Levi was jerked to his feet by the soldier holding him captive. "Come on boy," The soldier said. "It's going to be the holding cells for you."

Levi was too preoccupied with struggling against the soldiers restraining him to notice the retreating brown eyes that watched him with curiosity.

* * *

><p><em>Year 850, the present...<em>

Hanji entered Aaltonen Factory with the newest recruits of the Survey Corps. Among these recruits were Mikasa, Armin, Eren, Reiner, Connie, Sasha, Krista, Jean, Bertolt and a few others. Once inside the steel doors, Hanji looked around, but the person she was looking for was nowhere to be seen. Both the squad leader and the recruits suddenly felt very aware that they were out of place in this huge factory. The workers bustled around them, dodging the soldiers expertly as they carried around all manners of tools and metals.

Hanji sighed an exasperated sigh. "Oh, where did that absent minded engineer get to?" She tsked. Hanji peeked over heavy machinery and workers, her eyes scanning for her person of interest.

Suddenly a shout was heard over the roar of machines.

"Oh, you're here already Hanji?"

All the new recruits turned left and right, trying to locate the source of the voice, but no one could pick out the person who had addressed the squad leader. Hanji on the other hand, knew exactly where to look. Her eyes shot right up to the ceiling.

"There you are Marie!" She shouted as she waved both arms. "Didn't you know we'd be here by now?" Hanji said. The recruits followed their superior's gaze and were shocked to find a woman strapped to the ceiling. Her striking cooper hair fell in sweaty tangled cascades and a tool belt dangled from her waist. She weirdly looked right at home suspended up there like that.

"I did! Sorry, but one of the fans gave out and I was just finishing fixing it up!" Marie said, slipping a tool into her belt and turning away from her guests to take a final look at the fan.

"Don't you have maintenance workers for this type of thing?" Hanji asked, tilting her head. Marie Aaltonen was the owner of the factory after all. You'd think that someone who owned such a business wouldn't stoop to do such things.

"I do." Marie replied. "But I was here and I had time so…" Marie didn't bother finishing her sentence. Instead she unclipped herself from the ceiling and with a grunt slowly lowered herself down towards the floor.

As the squad leader and recruits waited for Marie to make her descent, they took a better look around the factory. Hanj in particular noticed that the place was in a higher form of disarray than usual. Tools and materials were all over the place and there were more grease stains than usual. Perhaps the Factory had run into a boom in business, leaving little time for much else besides gear manufacturing. Considering the events that took place in Shiganshina five years ago and in Trost just recently, this was certainly of no surprise to Hanji.

Hanji offered Marie a steady hand once the engineer was in reach. Marie took Hanji's hand gratefully.

"Thanks," Marie said to her friend with a smile. "It's wonderful to see you again Hanji." Marie then turned to the recruits. "And it's nice to see all your faces too!"

Marie stretched out her arms, showcasing the buzz of work surrounding them. "Welcome to Aaltonen Factory! This is where people slave and sweat over creating and perfecting your 3D Maneuver Gear so that you guys can kick some Titan ass."

Some of the recruits chuckled at that. Marie took note that one blond boy in particular looked to be quite interested as his gaze explored the machinery around him. Marie smiled, feeling that this new batch looked like they were going to be a good one. Marie pulled a dirty cloth out of her pocket and proceeded to clean her hands with it. However, the cloth was already so dirty all that she managed to do was spread the grease around her hands a little more.

"Since Commander Erwin Smith assumed his post," She began, "it has become common practice for the Survey Corps to have all new recruits sent here for a day. The purpose of this trip is so that I can show you how we make your 3D Maneuver gear, the details of how it operates, the advantages and limitations of your gear, and lastly, tips for quick repairs that might save your life in the field. Now…" Marie paused. "…are there any questions before we start?"

One tall boy with light brown hair raised his hand. "I apologize if this sounds rude Miss Aaltonen, but…we already learned all there is to learn about the 3D Maneuver gear when we underwent our training. What more could we possibly learn?"

Marie grinned, glad that this group was an honest one. She knew this was a question that knocked around in most of the minds of the new recruits, but most did not voice it. The fact that his group got right down to business let Marie know that this next batch of recruits were more than likely going to do some great things for humanity.

"What is your name, soldier?" Marie asked, tucking her cloth back into her pocket.

"Jean Kirstein." The young man replied.

"Well Jean, to be honest my answer is a simple is always something new that a soldier can learn, and he must never squander that possibility. No matter how well you think you know something, there is always the possibility for surprise. Keep your mind open and you'll be better for it."

Hanji nodded approvingly at that answer.

Marie turned her attention to Hanji. "So this is everyone for today? It's a small group this year." She said. A sadness coursed itself through Marie. The Survey Corps had been suffering exceptional losses for the past several years, and she knew this was taking its toll on the Commander and the surviving squad leaders. Watching people die, right there in front of you, would take its toll on anybody, regardless of how tough he or she was.

"This is everyone." Hanji replied, pulling Marie out of her thoughts. "But Captain Levi should be joining us at any moment."

The new recruits were surprised to see Marie's calm demeanour dissipate and her face suddenly lost all of its colour, creating a startling contrast between her skin and copper hair. "Did you say…Levi's coming?" She said, anxiety evident in her tone.

Hanji nodded slowly. Marie grasped Hanji's shoulders, her brown eyes becoming wide. "Are you crazy Hanji?! Look at this place! Look at me! He's going to have an aneurysm when he sees all this dirt and grease everywhere! Don't you remember the last time he showed up here and I was unprepared?!"

Hanji shrugged, but it was evident to both Marie and the new recruits that she was trying very hard not to crack a huge grin. "He decided that he wanted to come this morning. There wasn't enough time to warn you."

Marie groaned. "You're keeping me in the dark on purpose. You like to watch that neat freak lose his shit and then force me and my workers to clean every nook of this place! I don't have time for that today, and you don't either!"

Hanji shrugged again. "I wouldn't exactly say that I didn't have the time for such a thing." She said, her eyes glittering with mischievous glee behind the thick rims of her glasses. Her eyes then left Marie and shifted to the main doors of the factory. "Oh, good morning Levi!" She said cheerfully.

Marie's stomach sank as she turned around to face what she knew was going to be a displeased Levi. And low and behold, she was not wrong either. Levi was standing at the mouth of her factory in his military uniform, arms crossed and his typical emotionless gaze scanning the place.

"Hi Levi…I didn't expect to see you today," Marie said, all the while trying to inconspicuously push a disorganized tool box behind one of the nearby machines. "Like at all." She finished pointedly.

At the sound and sight of the captain, the workers of the Aaltonen factory whispered amongst themselves. Some, who knew exactly what they were in for groaned and cursed under their breath or threw their hands up in the air in defeat. Others simply abandoned their work and picked up the nearest cloth and got to scrubbing. The rest (who were unaware of Levi's previous visit to the factory) simply stood there, immobilized by their confusion.

Levi maintained that composed and disinterested expression of his. In fact he looked so disinterested in the whole affair that the new recruits were amiss as to why Marie had panicked the way she did. However, if the recruits knew how to read Levi as well as Marie and Hanji did, they would notice the slight impulsive twitches of his fingers every time his eyes befell a clear offence to his code of cleanliness.

_Oh, this is going to be a bad one._ Marie thought.

After a moment of scrutinizing the place, Levi made his way towards Marie who didn't so much as dare remove her hands from her pockets. He stopped right before her, looking her up and down, disgust evident upon his lips. "You're probably one of the grossest human beings alive." Levi growled, his gaze shifted around the factory "and this place looks like hell."

The jaws of most of the recruits dropped, dumbfounded that their captain would speak to the wealthiest merchant in Stohess in such a crude and blunt way.

But Marie didn't seem to care or take offense to Levi's words at all. Instead she smiled sweetly. "Well, if this place is so offensive to you, might I suggest waiting for me to finish my tour with the new recruits? I can meet you later this evening?"

But Levi ignored Marie completely and instead made his way towards the nearest cleaning appliance.

"Alright brats," Levi said, rolling up his sleeves as he turned to the new recruits who all stood at attention. "If we are going to be spending the day here we might as well make it tolerable." He then turned to Marie. "That goes for you too."

Marie Aaltonen released a heavy sigh of despair, and her workers continued to whine and mutter curses under their breath. The recruits simply did as they were told without a word of complaint. No one in the factory dared oppose humanity's strongest soldier when it came to this.

Hanji Zoe was the only one in the room who was taking pleasure and this. The amused smile on her face lasted all day.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note<strong>: So, this is sort of a weird story...but anyway, here is my contribution to Attack on Titan. Hope someone out there enjoys this! Talk to me if you have any questions!


	2. Chapter 2: The Pinky Swear

**Chapter 2**

**The Pinky Swear**

**_Year 826, 19 years before the fall of Shiganshina…_**

Just as Augustus Aaltonen ordered, the two soldiers of the military police locked the ten year old boy in one of the factory's storage rooms. And, to their credit for not being complete idiots; before throwing Levi into the room, one of the soldiers swept if for windows or instruments that the boy could use to escape. After the room was cleared, both soldiers grasped the struggling boy and tossed him inside. Levi was then shut and locked in the darkness.

Groaning from the fresh sting of pain that flooded his system with the impact of his body against the cold concrete floor, Levi collected himself. He slowly sat his body upright, annoyed that now not only was he going to have to wash the dirt and blood off of himself, but the dust from this hardly used storage room as well. That is,_ if_ he even managed to get out of this mess.

The guards' hushed voices filled the silence of the deserted factory and Levi's stomach dropped when he realized that he wasn't going to be left alone, not even for a second. Those soldiers were going to stay guarding that door until their reinforcements came. This meant that whatever attempt of escape Levi was going to make it had to be when that door opened. There was simply no other way to exit the room. A dull squeeze of panic held fast when Levi realized that he was being driven into a corner that he would probably not be able to escape from. However, the many years of harsh living on the streets where he had no one to depend on but himself also equipped the boy with a cool head. It didn't take long for Levi to choke that panic down and focus.

Taking a deep breath, Levi sat silently and listened to the soldiers stationed outside. Despite the locked door and thick walls, Levi could easily make out most of what the soldiers were saying.

"Oh, fuck me," One of them cursed, his voice high and the panic in his tone evident. "How did we let a little kid get in here? The commander is going to skin us alive for this."

The other soldier (who Levi recognized as the one that held him down) replied, "I don't even want to think about it. I'm shitting my pants enough as it is. An experienced thief fine, but a fucking kid?"

"I know!" Was the incredulous response of the high voiced solider. "And did you see the way he was looking at us. Not a trace of panic in that kid's face. Hell, he didn't even look remotely scared."

"He's a weird kid, that's for sure." The solider that held Levi down said. "I'm just glad that little shit stain is going to be behind bars from now on."

The soldiers continued their talk, their occasional curses and sighs of disbelief filling the otherwise silent factory. Levi decided that their chatter was not going to give him any valuable information so he ignored the rest of their babble and proceeded to plan his escape.

The room the soldiers had thrown him in was pitch black, and while most would see this as a disadvantage, Levi knew that the darkness was actually a blessing in disguise. He was going to turn this darkness into an advantage.

When the soldiers opened the door in order to collect him and subsequently drag him to the carriage, Levi would be hidden in the blackness of the room. Hopefully this would disorient the soldiers to his whereabouts for just a second because a second would be all Levi would need. Once he had their confusion, Levi would exploit this by sweeping in for an attack with anything he could find. Levi realized of course that the success of this plan was a longshot but if luck was on his side, then perhaps he would be able to manage an escape from the soldiers' grasps. If his attack worked he would then make for the deep recesses of the factory, and once he was out of sight of those soldiers he would easily be able to slip past them again.

Confident in his plan, Levi began to feel his way around the room for anything he could use for his surprise attack. He only got a quick glimpse at parts of the room from the hallway's illumination before he had been locked in, but that quick glance had been more than enough. On the right side of the room he remembered seeing an old tool box and some crates. Hopefully, the soldiers had neglected to check that box and there would be something in there that Levi could use.

Getting on all fours, his senses high and fingers extended, Levi felt his way around for the tool box. He was very careful not to make a sound with his blind exploration, lest he arouse the suspicions of the soldiers outside.

When his fingers brushed against the cold metallic surface of the box he felt a wave of triumph course through him. _So far so good._

Slowly, Levi unlatched the lid of the box and felt his way around its contents. The shapes of the tools were distinct and he had no troubles figuring out what the tool box contained. A screwdriver, wrench, nails, a hammer, some bolts and a rag. Admittedly, while not entirely useless, Levi knew that the contents of this box were not going to get him far in terms of escaping. He would have to think and react fast if he wanted to get away from two full grown adults without getting grabbed.

Grasping the screwdriver in one hand, Levi shut the lid of the tool box and sat on the cold hard floor. It would likely be a while yet before his captors would open the door, so he might as well use this time to rest a bit and regain some of his strength.

As Levi sat on the floor, his thoughts wandered to that little copper haired brat and no sooner had he begun thinking about her, he began to grind his teeth. Damn that spoiled, demonic little grease monkey. Although Levi had to admit that she wasn't _entirely_ unlikable she still ruined _everything_ and it was thanks to her that he was here, in a black storage room, clinging to a screwdriver like it was something precious.

Fuck. Where did a girl her age get the guts to walk into a place like this in the middle of the night anyway?

Suddenly a high pitched tone shrieked throughout the factory, starling Levi out of his thoughts and judging from the alarmed gasps of the soldiers outside, startled them as well.

"T-the alarm?!" Levi heard the high voiced soldier choke in disbelief.

"Can the kid set it off from in there?" The other soldier shouted in a panic over the ear piercing tone.

Heavy footsteps could be heard approaching and the soldiers abruptly ceased their chatter as they addressed the person approaching.

"What is going on?" The soldier who had held Levi hostage asked, poorly hiding the insecurity in his voice.

Levi then heard the deep and commanding tone of Augustus Aaltonen from beyond the door. "The boy must have been a decoy." Said the owner of the factory. "The real burglar must still be somewhere in here." Levi then heard an indistinguishable shuffle and the scrape of metal against metal.

_What are they doing? _

"Is the child locked in?" Levi heard Augustus Aaltonen ask.

"Yes sir!" Both soldiers replied in unison.

"Good," Said Aaltonen. "Then we will deal with him later! Come with me!"

A rainfall of pounding footsteps descended down the hallway and it wasn't long before Levi was left completely unguarded.

The boy couldn't believe his luck. This was his chance. The golden opportunity.

Grasping the screwdriver tightly in hand, Levi made his way towards the door. It was a solid door that his ten year old body had nowhere near enough force to be able to force open. But, if he was able to break off the lock…

Levi wasted no time getting to work. Sliding the screwdriver into the tiny space between the door and the wall, he carefully searched for the lock. As he jiggled the screwdriver about the high pitched alarm suddenly stopped. Levi froze and debated for a moment whether he should continue what he was doing or stick to his original plan. When the boy heard no one approaching for several seconds, he decided to take advantage of the time he had and get the hell out of this god forsaken factory.

More frantically now, Levi continued to jiggle the screwdriver upwards until the thing hit metal. Wasting not a moment's hesitation, Levi reared his body back and then forced all his strength into the butt of the screwdriver and ultimately, against the lock.

"Break open." Levi growled. "Break open you rusty piece of shit."

Suddenly the doorknob of the door jingled. Surprised, Levi released his grip on the screwdriver and took a step back. Well, _that_ wasn't supposed to happen. He had been putting pressure on the lock not the doorknob. What kind of fucking physics breaking door was this?

Suddenly, a distinct click filled the dark storage room and the door was swung open. Levi was once again stunned at the sight of little girl who _apparently _was never where she was supposed to be.

"What the f-" The girl cut off Levi's curse by putting a finger to his lips. Levi quickly slapped her hand away, annoyed that she would be so bold and direct to touch his mouth like that. The girl, however, didn't seem to take any offense to this.

"I'm going to help you escape" She whispered, her brown eyes serious. "But on one condition."

Of course the first question that popped into Levi's head was _"Why?"_ Clearly the brat had been hell-bent on stopping him from taking her daddy's property, so why was she all of a sudden helping him? The question itched behind Levi's lips like a cyst but he knew that right now time was precious so instead he asked, "What's the condition?"

"No more stealing." The girl said, raising her chin very much like an adult would when lecturing a child. "It's wrong." She added, her tone very matter-of-factly.

Levi blinked once…twice…three times. W-was this brat serious? God, this girl must have been really sheltered to think that people like him could survive without stealing or that they stole because they thought it was fun, or that they stole simply because they were "bad people".

Holy shit. This girl's ignorance was so unbelievable and baffling that Levi nearly started to laugh…again. That was twice in one night, damn if this girl was not out to set some sort of record.

However, Levi didn't have the time or the luxury to laugh at this girl's stupidity or lecture her on how life was not a bunch of fucking roses and candy. So instead, Levi simply nodded.

"Sure grease monkey. I promise that I won't steal anymore."

Levi began to make his way around the girl, but she set herself firmly before him, effectively blocking his path. Levi glared at her. He was this close to punching her again.

"Pinky swear." She said, holding up her pinky.

Levi rolled his eyes. He outgrew this shit years ago. "Yeah, sure whatever." Levi said hurriedly as he quickly twisted his pinky with hers and then dropped her hand like it was a hot plate. It was such an insignificant promise and sealing gesture but for some reason…this one felt eerily binding.

The little girl beamed. "Good!" She said with a big smile, revealing that gap where her tooth had been knocked out. Levi felt that this girl certainly deserved the punch he'd given her, but yet he still couldn't suppress the small sting of guilt in his chest at the sight of that gaping grin. Admittedly, it was a shame to ruin such a kind smile…even though it belonged to someone so aggravating.

The Aaltonen girl turned around and began leading Levi out of the storage room. "Now if you want to get out of here you better follow me," The girl said from over her shoulder, but then promptly turned and looked at Levi pointedly. "And don't get lost."

Levi snorted. "Yeah right, out of the two of us I think you are the slow one."

"Maybe, but you don't know this place like I do."

And then they were off, a scurry of tiny feet across a vast concrete and metal desert. Levi followed the girl closely and he had to admit, squeezing through nooks and crannies, crawling between and under machines, and slithering down a labyrinth of pitch black hallways at the speed that she was going was harder then Levi initially thought. Levi was surprised at how effortlessly the girl managed to take them through the factory completely undetected, especially since the recent arrival of the soldiers' reinforcements who had now joined Augustus in searching the building for the so called "real burglar".

As the two children crawled along under one of the machines, Levi began to recognize the surroundings. He remembered this room as it was the first one he saw when he had first snuck into the factory.

_Almost out._

Thankfully, it wasn't long before the children managed to successfully make their way out of the factory. As the cool night air hit Levi's face he felt a rush of relief. He was out. Out and free. There would be no bars for him, and from now on, he was going to pick his battles more carefully.

Alleviated and a little euphoric, Levi broke out into a run, dashing towards the gates of the complex.

"You're welcome!" He heard the girl shout from where he had left her. "And don't you forget the pinky swear!"

Levi paused when he made it to the gate and looked back at the little girl. She was inarguable an odd sight through and through. Standing in the foreground of a smoky gray factory in a lacy white chemise, covered in dirt and some blood, copper hair tangled and all other the place. A spoiled factory owner's brat who was kind despite her ignorance. She was the one who had been simultaneously responsible for his capture and his freedom. Truly, in his short life Levi never met anyone quite like her, and despite the fact that he still had many years left, he had a feeling that this fact would not soon change.

Levi smiled. "Sure thing, brat." He shouted back at her. He then proceeded to slip his skinny self through the gate's bars with ease.

"My name is Marie!" He heard her shout. But Levi had already disappeared into the shadows of the street, leaving Marie alone in the cold night air for her father to find her.

Marie sighed as she watched the boy go and she wondered if the burglar would remember her name.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Year 850, the present….<strong>_

Dusk enveloped the great city of Stohess. Men, women and children alike left their homes and spread throughout the city, golden light in their steps as they lit the city's lanterns that decorated every major stone cobbled street.

Hanji watched the ritual of the residents of Stohess from the window of Marie's house with intrigue. She was fascinated by the long poles they carried, which with the flick of a switch would produce a small flame at the end. This pole was utilized to ignite the gas powered lanterns that all stood at about eight feet tall and fourty feet apart from one another. It was a true spectacle of those who had plenty.

"There aren't many cities who have light once the sun sets." Hanji said as she pressed her face against the kitchen's window in order to get a better look. "These people sure have a lot of money to be able to light hundreds of lamps every night."

Levi, who was labouring over the table with a pile of vegetables and some meat, didn't reply. His attention was focused on preparing dinner for Hanji, Marie and himself.

Hanji's attention slipped from the streets and to back to Levi, who had taken the job as "cook" from her on account that although Hanji was unmatched in skill with a surgical knife, she withered when it came to actually creating anything that was even remotely suitable for human consumption.

"You used to live here right?" Hanji asked, despite knowing full well the answer to that question. Levi had been silent most of the night and she wanted to get him talking, otherwise she was going to go insane with all this quiet and nothing to do besides wait for Levi to finish making the soup. "It must have been hard to go off and live in the underground after living in such a luxurious place like this. Even the beggars get enough to eat here."

Levi still didn't answer. He apparently was too busy cutting up the vegetables and tossing them into the broth to give her the time of day.

Hanji sighed, bored at Levi's lack of conversation and made her way towards the kitchen table. She grasped one of the intricately designed and impeccably furnished chairs and pulled it back, caring not for the screech it made as it slid across the floor. She then proceeded to collapse into the seat.

"What a day!" Hanji sighed in a most exaggerated manner before leaning her weight backwards and onto the back legs of the chair, placing her bare feet on top of the table.

"Put your feet down, shitty glasses." Levi said in that calm tone of his and without turning around. "That's where we eat."

"Okay, okay." Hanji said with a smile, as she put her feet back down. "I just wanted to get you talking anyway."

"Well, congratulations on your success." Levi said, sarcasm heavy in his breath.

"Why thank you." Hanji teased, leaning forward to rest her elbows on the table, but then stopped and winced slightly as she felt her back stiffen. "Darn," She groaned, reaching behind herself so that she could attempt to rub out the stiffness in her back. "You sure worked everyone pretty hard today."

"That place was filthy." Levi said, his body visibly tensing, perhaps from the very memory of it.

Hanji nodded. "Well you are right in saying that the place was pretty messy, but…" Hanji paused for a moment before she continued, considering her next words carefully. "…if you don't tell Marie the **real **reason why you had everybody clean the place top to bottom then she is never going to know, you know?"

Levi shook his head as he stirred the pot of soup that was now boiling and releasing it's delicious aroma into the air. "As if I had an ulterior motive."

This time it was Hanji that shook her head. "It was obvious that you did." She said, then paused, waiting for Levi to retort or defend himself, but when she was met with neither, it took a lot for Hanji not to grab whatever was in the vicinity and throw it at his head.

Levi's lack of response at Hanji's observation really irritated her. Hanji sighed, exasperated at her comrade's stubbornness and smacked the table in an attempt to release some of her own pent up annoyance. "Come on Levi, you are a complete neat freak but even I know that when there has to be a focus on what's important you push that aside."

Levi maintained his silence.

Hanji exhaled a big breath and leaned back in her chair, her eyes travelled about the room, falling upon the tens of multicolored bouquets that littered the kitchen in their expensive looking vases. Those had certainly been a surprise when Hanji and Levi had first walked into Marie's home that evening. Marie had never been one to bother keeping flowers. "You know," Hanji began, breaking the silence. "I'm not very good at relationship advice and all that, and I usually don't have the time or energy to care; but you are my dearest comrade and Marie is a good friend. Just…talk to Marie about the distance thing, because it's obvious that it makes you both miserable. I mean, you haven't seen each other for four months."

"Five." Levi corrected before he could stop himself.

Hanji smirked, a surge of triumph coursing through her at the realization that she got him. Levi was certainly not lacking in emotions like most people thought. Those who knew him personally were very aware that despite his direct way of speaking and the decorated vernacular that he picked up throughout his life, Levi was very caring towards most people, especially those he truly cared about.

"Here I'll do the work for you." Hanji said cheerily. "Just say, "Marie!" She cried, jumping up from her seat at the table and posing dramatically. "I'm sorry I made you and your workers clean up that factory and knowingly put everyone behind schedule for a day." Hanji's voice softened then, the tone of her voice began to drip with an overly dramatic and breathless contour. She even managed to make her eyes brim up with water. "But…I did it because I wanted to be able to spend one extra day with you. I am truly, a terrible, terrible, selfish man."

That certainly got his attention. It was enough for Levi to abandon his post and turn around to face his comrade. His expression was blank, and did not betray one ounce of amusement.

But Hanji grinned wide, unfaltering in her joke and completely unashamed that she was very proud of herself for managing to get Levi's head out of his ass for one minute.

Hanji's enthusiasm and playfulness proved yet again to be contagious and it wasn't long before a smile spread across Levi's lips. "You are right, you are God awful at this."

Hanji shrugged. "What can I say, I'm honest." Hanji approached the stove, leaning over Levi's shoulder in order to get a whiff of the soup. She was positively starving, and that broth was the best thing she had smelled all day. "Is that ready yet?" She asked.

Levi turned his attention back to the soup. "It will be ready soon. While you wait you might as well make yourself useful and go upstairs and get the grease monkey."

* * *

><p>Marie sighed as her aching muscles sang her praises when she submerged her body into the tub of steaming hot water.<p>

_What a crazy day._ She thought.

Marie, the new recruits of the Survey Corps _and_ her workers had been worked raw today by Levi's borderline obsessive compulsive disorder. Anytime they cleaned something that wasn't up to his standard, Levi would simply stare at them and say in perhaps the most maddening condescending and tone he could muster. "Do it again." It had been nightfall by the time they got the place up to Levi's standard.

**_Nightfall._**

_God dammit._ Marie cursed under her breath, irritation settling into her bones again.

It's not like this was something she was unfamiliar with. In fact, Marie lost count of the number of times she was personally victimized by Levi's cleanliness regimen. However, this didn't excuse the fact that she was now a day behind schedule, and she would have to make up for it with meetings and letters of apology. No one was going to hold the delay against her of course. Marie had proved herself to always be dependable and delays in schedule were a natural part of business that even happened to the most punctual of people. But still, Marie was a perfectionist when it came to her work, and if the idea of being delayed for no good reason made her want to choke someone.

Because it had been so late when they finished, instead of starting the tour Marie arranged for the new recruits to stay the night at a nearby inn. There the kids could have their supper, a chance to bathe and to rest before the work she would have them do tomorrow.

For Levi and Hanji, Marie offered that they spend the night at her place. After all she had this large house to herself now and there was more than enough room for the three of them. Besides, Marie missed having company in this old house. She missed the days when the hallways weren't quiet and laughter and talking could be heard on mostly every floor throughout the day.

Suddenly, an erratic knock sounded against the door, startling Marie and causing her to accidentally spill some water over the edge of the tub.

"Hey, Marie!" Came Hanji's cheerful voice from the other side of the door. "You still in there?"

"Yes!" Marie called out, pressing a hand over her chest to calm her pounding heart as she sank back into the tub. "Is everything alright?"

"Fine. Dinner is ready though! Hurry up before it gets cold!" Hanji said, the retreating sounds of her footsteps indicating that she was making her way back downstairs.

"Coming!" Marie replied, making a grab for the soap and cloth. She needed to get these stains off her skin quickly. Scrubbing as best she could (and leaving some of the more inconspicuous patches behind) Marie made quick of her cleaning routine.

However, the repetitive motions and incessant scrubbing caused Marie's mind to wander, and as these thoughts poured into her, she dropped the cloth and sank deep into the hot water, leaving only her nose above the surface so she could breathe.

_Five months._

It had been five whole months since she and Levi had last seen one another, and when he waltzed into her factory this morning he treated her as if he had only seen her yesterday. Granted, it was understandable that the chaotic and dirty state of the factory had probably been a bit overwhelming for him, but still Marie had been hoping for a little more of a…happy reunion. A hug, or a peck on the cheek at least? Anything?

"_Perhaps I've expected too much."_ Marie thought, now feeling a little more than embarrassed at the wild and -admittedly- erotic fantasies she had regarding their reunion. After all, despite knowing each other since childhood, their romantic relationship had only been "official" (if you could even call it that) for the past year and five months of that year had been spent apart. Marie also understood that although Levi was far from emotionless, he sure wasn't one for displaying his feelings on his sleeve.

Yes, this response was to be expected of any rational person, a response that Marie herself should have predicted, but still, she couldn't help but feel the slow burn of disappointment in her chest.

Suddenly, the bathroom door slammed wide open. The abrupt cry of its squeaking hinges and the subsequent loud bang of the door hitting the wall scared Marie out of her skin, nearly driving her out of the tub in a nose dive of panic. God, was everyone bent on scaring her today?

Turning around so that she faced the culprit, Marie saw that it had been Levi who had slammed the holy hell out of her bathroom door. A quick glimpse revealed that Levi had taken his coat and cravat off, leaving him with the more casual appearance of just his white shirt and pants and the distinctive black straps all soldiers who used the 3D Maneuver gear wore. He must have gotten more comfortable when he was making dinner. Marie was about to yell at him for scaring her, but she was left paralyzed at the intensity of his gaze as it bore down on her.

Oh shit, that's right. Dinner. She had just left them completely hanging.

"I'm sorry!" Marie squeaked. "I completely forgot about the time! Please tell me that you both didn't waiting for me."

It was at that exact moment that Marie actually successfully processed what was going on. Levi had actually barged into her bathroom, knowing full well what she was doing in here and her state (or more accurately, lack thereof) of dress. But for Marie, what was so shocking about this whole scene was not the fact that she was butt naked, but rather, barging into her bathroom like he had wasn't like Levi at all. Levi had always been very adamant about giving her privacy, even when she let him know that his presence during her more intimate and quiet moments didn't bother her at all.

"Of course I waited." Levi said as he stepped past the threshold and slowly closed the bathroom door behind him, leaving them both completely and utterly alone for the first time since he arrived in the morning.

As Levi made his way across the bathroom, and as she watched him, Marie felt her skin begin to tingle and her heart began to pound so much to the point that she could feel it in her throat. She stuffed her hands between her knees because she had no idea what to do with them. Oh god, was she getting nervous? Dammit, she was a full grown thirty two year old woman, not some virgin teenager. Her getting nervous over her partner being in the bathroom with her shouldn't even be allowed at this point!

"Where is Hanji?" Marie asked, trying desperately to calm herself and ebb the sudden and irrational rush of nerves.

"Downstairs passed out on the couch," Levi replied, taking a seat on the toilet that was to the tub's immediate right. "Shitty four eyes couldn't wait so she ate everything her stomach could hold and then fell asleep."

The image that popped into Marie's mind of Hanji sprawled out and snoring peacefully on her couch made her smile and it certainly helped in calming her down. That woman had the amazing ability to sleep anywhere and in any position imaginable. Marie would be lying if she said she wasn't at least a little bit jealous.

"She works so hard, and all for the betterment of tomorrow." Marie said. At that moment Marie realized the she must have dropped the soap in the water when her mind wandered earlier. With fingers extended she began her blind search under the murky water. "She told me she had been up all last night reviewing her data from her past experiments. It sounds like you guys might be onto something."

"We might be." Levi said. "Or it might just be another dead end."

Marie was very familiar with dead ends and knew there really wasn't really anything comforting to say about them. So she resorted to keeping quiet and focusing her attention on finding that damned soap. When her fingers finally came upon the slippery square Marie grasped and pulled the thing out of the water, her arms raised in victory. Through her peripherals she noticed that Levi had kept his eyes fixed on her the entire time, his stare utterly unwavering. Marie felt her cheeks involuntarily flush red under those eyes.

"Let me wash your back." Levi said abruptly, the offer actually managing to surprise them both.

Marie blinked, her eyebrows raised in a clear expression of disbelief, but she was able to quickly compose herself.

"Ah, sure. Be my guest." She said. Marie handed Levi the cloth she had been working against her skin earlier, and then presented her back to him. She tucked her legs underneath her bottom so that enough of her back was raised above the water. She also tangled her hair in her fingers and swept the copper mop to her front, giving Levi full access.

"I'm ready."

The sound of Levi getting up and his footsteps across the tile floor, the rustling sound of cloth as he rolled up his sleeves, and his kneeling beside the tub caused a shiver to erupt and spread across Marie's skin. It was then that it hit Marie just how much she had positively ached for him to touch her and that this desire had been gnawing in the back of her mind since the first second she saw him before at her factory doors. She needed him to run those calloused yet delicate fingers across her skin, sliding up to cupping her breasts. His lips and tongue on her neck, his hot, hard flesh pressed intimately against her own as he would slowly begin to dip his fingers down until he reached that spot between her legs…

_God, yes._

Marie got the feeling that these thoughts of hers must have made her senses suddenly and inexplicably hypersensitive, because when she heard the soft splash of water, the distinct squishing sounds of lathering soap in one's palms, and then Levi's slippery wet hands making contact with her back, Marie had to bite her lip in order to prevent the release a wanton, breathless moan. Oh God, he wasn't even going to bother using the cloth was he?

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong> So, this is my first time structuring a narrative like this. This story is going to be essentially told by paralleling two different times (yes this will be an every chapter sort of thing). So basically, what I hope for is to have the entirety of the relationship's between characters (both present and past aspects) to be revealed and explored simultaneously. Again, this is my first time doing this so if anyone feels it is too confusing let me know. :)

I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter and just a little warning that there will more than likely be smut in the next chapter. This thing is rated M for a reeeeeeason. We should also be actually getting to the actual plot in the next chapter...if smut permits...

Oh, and sorry for the cliffhanger.


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